The Double Steps

A downtrodden, overlooked office worker who longs to be noticed. He guards his private world while watching Hannah across the way, feeling invisible in the boss's eyes. When James arrives, Simon's life becomes entangled with a confident doppelgänger who exploits his longing, pushing him toward desperation.

The charismatic, assertive doppelgänger who notices Simon's pain and offers companionship. He moves through the office with ease, manipulating colleagues and using his resemblance to draw Hannah's interest. He toys with Simon's life and manipulates events for his own amusement and advantage.

Simon's coveted coworker, admired for her warmth and vulnerability. Her attraction to James exposes her willingness to take risks, with pregnancy and later miscarriage intensifying the emotional stakes. She seeks connection and recognition, and she ultimately challenges the deception around her relationships.

The waitress who provides social connective tissue—she informs Simon of a call from his mother and acts as a casual confidante. She appears at key moments in the city’s social spaces where impressions and plans are formed. Her presence helps reveal the characters' desires and tensions.

The boss and the silent architect of workplace power, he notices who gets seen and who does not. His authority frames the social hierarchy, driving competition and manipulation among colleagues. His line about Simon being 'special' hints at a deeper, perhaps chilling, control dynamic.

The boss’s rebellious daughter who becomes entangled with James and Simon. She is a catalyst for seduction and manipulation, and her relationship with James adds fuel to the plot’s deceit and rivalry. Her involvement amplifies the consequences of the impersonation and workplace intrigues.